AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2005 > October > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWho Needs an SAT Coach
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Sunday, I wrote about SAT coaches. Read the story here.
I learned a lot, especially about the importance of strategically skipping questions. This is a test unlike any other, and it makes sense to know how it’s scored. That said, it doesn’t take a tutor to learn how to maneuver through the SAT. There are online, library-based and school-based courses. And there’s the book put out by the College Board, which lays it all out.
So why don’t more kids strategically skip questions? Well, it’s counterintuitive. It’s so different than a classroom test. And, if they’re like me, they think they just might guess right. That’s not the right way to go with the SAT. If you can’t eliminate an answer or two, SKIP IT!
Tell us your experiences with SAT prep: coaches, classes, private companies etc. What worked for your kid? And what about the SAT … a student I interviewed who is bumping up against perfection decried the test as a terrible measure of a student’s ability to succeed in college. What do you think?
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By HStchr
October 3, 2005 01:34 PM | Link to this
I designed and taught an elective SAT course for several years in a previous system. One of many skills I taught kids was how to eliminate answers if they weren’t completely sure about a question. Statistically, if you can’t make an “educated guess” by narrowing down choices, you MAY impact your score by blindly guessing and getting the question wrong. This is very different from other tests. It is necessary to teach kids that this test is scored a bit differently and that blind guesses don’t always help. Unlike other tests, the SAT doesn’t penalize you for leaving questions blank. It only works against you if you leave too many blank. I taught my kids to leave no more than 5 questions out of 30 or so blank. Narrowing choices and making a guess is the best way to go. All kids, with the exception of a few will not be able to make educated guesses on all questions. The SAT is a much harder test than any state mandated test. And, one must remember, that like any standardized test, it is a predictor of success in college, not a determiner. Many who do well on the SAT don’t make it through college and vice-versa. It is just one test designed to help predict success. The rest is up to the individual student.
By KABA
October 3, 2005 03:58 PM | Link to this
SAT prep is like prepping for other statndardized tests; you learn the particular pitfalls and tricks and timing issues. As far as the language arts and non math subject areas, the best prepared test takes are those who read quickly and well, who easily comprehend and process what they read, and who have an extensive vocabulary. If you are a good reader, you can do well on most any standardized test.
By HS Science
October 3, 2005 04:56 PM | Link to this
Both KABA and HStchr are correct. There are three parts to taking the SAT - understanding the questions (being a good reader), understanding the test (know how it’s scored) and core content knowledge. Teaching in a school that I consider to be very low in testing (They applaud the 900 club of late) I dislike the idea of teaching how to do each and every question. Learn the basics and know the test.
All of my children did quite well without coaching outside of my wife and I (1520, 1560 and the baby 1580 in 8th grade). Many times even the best students do poorly because they do not understand the test. Too many think you can’t get a good score unless you answer every question. So yes, skip that question where you cannot eliminate answers. Yes, avoid burn out more than a minute is too long - you know it or not. And yes, if you have time go back to the ones you skipped. Some will even noticed that a question that stumped them earlier is actually answered by a later question.
By Dan
October 4, 2005 08:21 AM | Link to this
This coaching stuff is all a smoke screen of class envy. The bottom line is if you know the core material you will do just fine. Coaching may add some points but it is not going to move someone from 750-1200 (or whatever the new scale is)
By HStchr
October 4, 2005 08:27 AM | Link to this
No it won’t move someone up 500 points, but like any test, you need to review and prepare before you take it. It’s not about class envy—it’s about getting into a college you want to go to. Students who have never taken the PSAT and have no familiarity with the SAT deserve some kind of practice to know what to expect. The SAT is much different from tests the kids have taken up to that point. When I taught SAT prep, I did see score increases averaging about 150 points. It’s up to the inividual student and some very much appreciated the review and preparation. They were much more comfortable going into the test. It’s worth a little time before the test to be less nervous when taking it.
By Robert
October 4, 2005 09:39 AM | Link to this
I think that this is another example of students not taking responsibility for their own learning and future. Parents will spend money on an SAT Coach so that they will have someone to blame if little Sally doesn’t do well. How stupid!!!
By Karen Armsby
October 4, 2005 10:05 AM | Link to this
I used to administer the GED, and I will tell you from experieince that coaching, practice tests, and gaining familiarity with the test format help many students that have test anxiety. Regardless of how smart or academically prepared one may be, some people are more relaxed and test better than others. Preparation or coaching for any test allows the test taker to learn the format, the time constraints, the types of trick or try out questions, and the freebies. Coaching does help the test takers to make ‘on the fly’ decisions to skip a difficult question without losing their focus or their cool. Coaching helps reduce the terror of the test in many test takers.
By HStchr
October 4, 2005 10:18 AM | Link to this
Robert- it’s not about blame. How did you do on the SAT? I took it without coaching and didn’t do as well as I was hoping. It’s like any test in school- is it fair to test a kid without him knowing what to study? Would you want your child taking a final exam without having a review sheet to study? The SAT is no different. Parents want their kids to do well so they can hopefully get the scholarships they need to help pay for college. Good SAT score=good scholarship. And a lot of good students perform poorly on the SAT because they get nervous and choke. Prep courses help them so that they can focus and not be so worried about it.
By tina
October 4, 2005 11:41 AM | Link to this
I am a senior and I have to take as many of these standard tests that I can get my hands on and I believe that the only way of seeing weather I person is ready for college is to see their transcript and to see the persons improvement not there test taking skills. I am a BAD test taker but I also have the ability to do good in class, but several of my friends are good test takers and they do not so good in their classes. That to me is not fair, I work hard in class but I might not go to the college of my chose because of a “test�.
By RF
October 4, 2005 12:01 PM | Link to this
tina—the more you read, the better you will do on the SAT. 20-30 minutes a day minimum will help you more than anything else. It will also help you with your writing skills. Not to criticize, but your English teacher needs to help you a bit with grammar. Read as often as you can and you will do better on the standardized tests. Also, colleges look at your ‘freshman index score’ which is a combination of your SAT score, grade-point average, and a mathematical calculation. So, if your grades are good, your SAT score may not have to be.
By Robert
October 4, 2005 12:17 PM | Link to this
HStchr - to answer your personal question about me…. I did quite well on the SAT. I did well enough to get into GA Tech (in today’s scoring that would be about 1350). And, I did this without any sort of SAT coach.
To clarify, there is nothing wrong with getting help if you need it to supplement the students efforts. However, if the student puts forth no effort, what good is an SAT Coach?
GA State offers an SAT course during the summer. I know of some parents that send their students there with hopes that this will get their child great SAT scores. But, the students do not try and do not care and think that it is a summer camp for fun on a college campus. These parents should be teaching their children personal responsibility and ownership for their own learning!!!!!!
By HStchr
October 4, 2005 12:28 PM | Link to this
Exactly the point I hoped you were going after Robert. I do think though that most parents realize how hard their kids do or don’t work. Some are genuinely trying to help their kids while some are, in fact, looking for a cure-all. Depends on the kids and parents, doesn’t it??
By Dan
October 4, 2005 12:37 PM | Link to this
HStchr I agree with much of what you say My point is while I am sure coaching is helpful. Not having a coach is no excuse for a low grade and unlikely to be the determining factor in what school you go to. To your point on the kids parents, of course there is great influence there, or lack of. But these students are now young adults and they need to be able to motivate thereself. A kid that is overreliant on their parents to succeed on the SAT is probably not ready for college anyway
By HStchr
October 4, 2005 12:54 PM | Link to this
Dan—that’s pretty much what the SAT does. Even with a coach, if you don’t have it, the coach can’t give it to you. In 16 years, that’s been what I’ve seen happen. Some have to take it more than once to get the score they are truly capable of, but generally they get what they deserve. I coached them just to make sure they did their best. There was no magic formula for the low-achievers, and their scores showed that.
By Tony
October 4, 2005 01:36 PM | Link to this
I think we pay too much attention to the SAT. Teaching kids to think is much more important than the items covered on the SAT.
By Speed reader
October 4, 2005 02:18 PM | Link to this
You can inprove your score on any standardized test by speed reading. Speed reading takes practice but combined with a good logic course and practice at test taking a fair score can be improved to a great score. It’s not what you know or how smart you are standardized tests all in the taking.
By Jennifer
October 4, 2005 02:57 PM | Link to this
SAT Prep is very important for some students. Learning how to take the SATs takes time and practice. I signed my son up for an online SAT Prep course with the Global Classroom. It is facilitated by the #1 SAT Test Prep Instructor in the country, and people who take his courses see their test scores go up an average of 200 points! The course is only $89, and since we live in such a poor scoring SAT state, I figured it was well worth it! The Web site is www.globalclassroomusa.org, if you are interested.
By SET
October 4, 2005 04:57 PM | Link to this
The weaker the student the more important coaching is for standardized tests. Especially if the student isn’t already experienced in time pressure tests. Coaching always makes a difference no matter what the test company says. I know people who took both the SAT and the LSAT who obtained far better scores that ever expected after taking classroom-style review courses. They can be expensive, one family paid $1900 for the LSAT review course. They have no doubt that the results were worth it - it made the defference in what schools that student could get into and on what (financial aid) terms at each school.
Those that refuse to invest the money in coaching get what’s left over in opportunities. This is one more way in which “the poor” can’t compete. Even if they had the money they’d refuse to spend it on coaching as opposed to a new TV set.
By Lee
October 5, 2005 09:00 AM | Link to this
The reason we have standardized tests such as the SAT is that colleges needed some way to compare student achievement. A 3.5 gpa from school “A” may not be the same as a 3.5 gpa from school “B” - ever hear of grade inflation? For that purpose, the SAT may not be perfect, but it seems to be the best alternative we have at this time.
One major pitfall of the SAT is that some students just don’t do well on this type format test. If I had a child in that situation, I would spend the money to get them help.
Bottom line, once the student is accepted in college, they still have to do the work. If they got into a hard college by “gaming” the SAT, I wonder how well they would do?
By HStchr
October 5, 2005 09:10 AM | Link to this
On average, about 50% of graduating seniors enroll in a four-year degree program, and half of those don’t finish in four years. A good SAT score is one, and only one, indicator of potential success in college. The real work begins on day 1 of first semester, freshman year. Our job as parents doesn’t end with high school and SAT scores, does it?
By kps
October 5, 2005 11:07 AM | Link to this
I agree with Tony, I have been out of High School and College for many, many years. I scored horribly on the SAT. Why is it that a test is to predicate my outcome of College? I was always an A-B student and in College as well. I maintained over a 3.0 in College. Why should a test determine my fait. I am a horrible test taker and I’m sure that many students today are too.
If the student or parent feels as though they need turoring for this test, more power to them, but I still say that a test should not determine a persons ability. To much stress and emphasis is placed on students regarding one test. Students have enough to worry about in todays society.